Well, so much for that truce between Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and President Trump. After an initially rocky start shortly after being inaugurated, when Trump reportedly got huffy and abruptly ended a braggy phone call with the Australian PM, the two leaders eventually smoothed things over during a dinner meeting aboard a US aircraft carrier in May.
But now Turnbull has seemingly done the unfathomable by hitting Trump where it really hurts: his precious, precious ego. During a speech to the Canberra press gallery Midwinter Ball this week, which is basically Australia’s answer to the White House correspondents’ dinner, Turnbull was heard in leaked audio mocking Trump by impersonating his, uh, unique way of speaking.
The press gallery speeches are traditionally supposed to be off-the-record, however the offending snippet was recorded by Australia’s Channel Nine News and later aired.
The Donald and I, we are winning and winning in the polls. We are winning so much, we are winning, we are winning like we have never won before. We are winning in the polls. We are, we are. Not the fake polls. Not the fake polls. They’re the ones we’re not winning in. We’re winning in the real polls. You know, the online polls. They are so easy to win. I know that. Did you know that? I kind of know that. They are so easy to win. I have this Russian guy. Believe me it’s true, it is true.
In a radio interview later on Thursday, Turnbull called his speech “affectionately light-hearted,” elaborating: “Well it is a great tradition, it’s a big charity fundraiser … and it is a good-humoured sort of roast really. The PM and the opposition leader give a speech and poke fun at themselves and often other politicians.” He also joked that given this year’s speech was leaked, next year he plans to read “budget paper No 2.”
The United States embassy in Canberra likewise issued a statement, reiterating that the event is the equivalent to the White House correspondents’ dinner. However given Trump’s refusal to attend the dinner this year, he may not find it so amusing. We will just have to wait until if and when he tweets about it to know for sure.
Listen to the audio below:
(Via Guardian)